The present invention relates to a cover member for automobiles for partially covering up a panel forming an article that opens and closes including a body or a door of an automobile.
As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, an ordinary cover member for automobiles has been disclosed for partially covering up the panel forming the article that opens and closes including the body or the door of the automobile, comprising: a rocker panel 2 as a protective plate for protecting a side sill under right and left side doors 1 of automobiles from scattered pebbles or tar pitch; a rocker protector 3 covering the rocker panel 2; and an edge protector 4 fixed to a top end of the rocker protector 3 for sealing a space between the rocker panel 2 and the rocker protector 3 (see, for example, the Japanese unexamined Patent Publication No. H04-113949).
The edge protector 4 comprises: a lip-shaped seal part 4a which curves for abutting a lower end edge 1a of the door 1; an abutting piece 4b adheringly abuts the rocker panel 2; and a fixing piece 4c having an anchoring ditch 4d formed therein.
According to the structure, since the edge protector 4 is unremovably fixed to a hook part 3a provided on the top end of the rocker protector 3 by engaging with the hook part 3a, the edge protector 4 does not easily come off from the rocker protector 3 even in case the door is strongly closed.
According to the prior art (FIG. 10), the edge protector 4 is assembled on the rocker protector 3 by pressing and fitting the hook part 3a on a top end of the rocker protector 3 in the anchoring ditch 4d of the edge protector 4.
More specifically, as shown by an arrow 80 of FIG. 10, operators assemble the edge protector 4 on the rocker protector 3 by pressing the edge protector 4 with fingers at regular intervals, substantially 20 mm (millimeter), in such a manner that the hook part 3a on the top end of the rocker protector 3 is fit in the anchoring ditch 4d of the edge protector 4. As the total length of a product is longer, 1500 mm (millimeter) in the present case, time required for the operation becomes longer, which brings about pain in the operators' fingers.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cover member for automobiles capable of reducing time for assembly and burden for the operators.